Spanish PM Announces Pardons for 9 Catalonian Separatists

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Monday he will pardon nine imprisoned Catalan separatists charged with sedition over their roles in a 2017 referendum on Catalan independence.

The announcement came during a speech in Catalonia’s capital, Barcelona, about the future of the region. Sánchez said his Cabinet would approve the pardons Tuesday.   Twelve separatists were convicted and given long prison sentences for their roles in holding the banned secession referendum in 2017. They then declared independence a few days after the results. Unionists boycotted the referendum, which was held amid a large police presence intent on stopping it.